The Beginning- part two
by Znil
Summary: Continuing tale of Infinity and what happened when she meets Link...


The Beginning- part two   
  
Here is the next part featuring Infinity. Enjoy!   
  
It had been three months since I had been told what the Matrix was and I was only just getting use to my real body.   
I had hardly any hair so I went around every where with a hat, plus I had holes all over my body which made me fill queasy when ever I looked at them.   
I was feeling quite lonely as my cousin Neo had gone away for a few days to help on another ship. I missed him.   
  
One day I was wandering aimlessly around the ship where I came to the core, Tank the operator was at the console busy typing something.   
"Hi Tank, what's up?" I asked, looking over his broad shoulder at the computer screens which had strange green symbols scrolling down them. It was the Matrix in code.   
"Hi Infinity. I'm not exactly sure what's up, they seem to be concentrating on this guy," he said tapping the screen, "do you know him?"   
I looked and shook my head, "sorry Tank, but I can't make it out, I still don't know how to interpret the code remember."   
"Oh sorry, how about now?" and the code turned in to a picture of a boy, about my age with brown hair in a curtain style and had very blue eyes.   
"Hey yeah, I do know him, he used to go to my old school before he got rich."   
"Rich?"   
"He wrote his own computer program, can't remember what it was but he sold loads and now he is a millionaire."   
"Hmm, still doesn't explain why the matrix is interested in him."   
"Maybe we should go in and check it out."   
Before Tank could say another word I ran off to find Morpheus.   
  
Morpheus agreed that there was definitely something about this boy and we would have to act quickly before Agents got hold of him.   
Trinity, Electra and Morpheus got ready to go in.   
"I want to go in too." I said and I saw Trinity shot Morpheus a look.   
"She hasn't began her training yet Morpheus." she said.   
"Still if you say this boy knows you he might be more willing to talk to us. Infinity you can come but you must stay with Trinity at all times understood?"   
"Yes Morpheus" I said as calmly as possible but inside I was excited as it would be the first time I would go back in since I was unplugged.   
"Infinity do you know his name or where abouts we would find him?"   
"I don't know his first name but I know people call him Link. I know that he lives in a huge house" and I showed Tank where abouts the house was and he looked for an entrance.   
"Ok, got one, car's ready and waiting, good luck."   
I laid down on one of the chairs like the others and Cyber put the data spike in the hole in my head.   
  
In a few seconds we were standing in a burnt out room which looked as if it had seen better days. A ringing telephone was sitting on a podium and Morpheus answered it.   
"We're in" he said.   
A car was out side, Electra drove us following directions from Tank.   
"There it is" I gasped as we pulled up by a mansion, no exaggeration!   
"you say he is a millionaire?" Electa asked as he looked at the house.   
"Most probably a multi millionaire by now."   
We split into two groups, Morpheus and Electra stayed around the front and checked the grounds, Socket stayed by the car for a fast get away in case any Agents turned up while Trinity and me checked   
the back.   
We looked through some windows and Trinity said, "Found him."   
He was on a computer, which wasn't surprising in what looked like a study staring out the screen.   
"That's him" I confirmed and Trinity got out her mobile phone to tell Morpheus.   
"We have him, he's on a computer... wait a minute..."   
On the screen something strange happened, it went black and then a very faint picture of a person lying in pod which was filled with a pinkish goo.   
"Oh my god!" I gasped and I could hear Morpheus urgently ask, "What? What is it?"   
Before Trinity could answer him I heard footsteps behind me and I looked around to see a caucasian man who wore a a suit, sunglasses and had an ear piece in his ear.   
"AGENT!" I cried and Trinity told me to run for it, but I was already running as the agent opened fire on us.   
Trinity got out her gun and started shooting.   
"Ring Tank" she yelled and I got out my phone.   
"Operator"   
"Tank we need help," a bullet flew past me ear, "like now!"   
"There is no exit near you, but there is a wood."   
"What I should go there?"   
"Yes, it should be easier for you to not get hit."   
"Good idea, thanks Tank"   
I ran towards the trees with Trinity and the Agent after me.   
It was pretty dense in the wood and there was plenty of places we could hide, luckily for us there was only one agent.   
I climbed up a tree and watched as Trinity waited behind a tree before running across the path of the agent before he had the chance to shoot, she was so fast!   
She backed behind a tree, reloaded her gun and aimed at the agent.   
She hit him, but where he had fallen to the ground was a body of a security guard.   
I climbed down from the tree and walked over to Trinity and the dead guard.   
"Where did he come from?" I asked.   
"It was the agent, they use the 'bodies' of other people, if we get the chance to kill them we are only killing the person whose body they have used."   
"Who are you?"   
We looked around to see Link, he saw the body at our feet.   
"Oh my god! Is he dead?" he then saw the gun in Trinity's hand and began to panic.   
"Shit! You killed him!"   
"No, Link listen to us please" I said and Link stopped.   
"How do you know that name? Hang on, don't I know you from some where...?" He studied my face.   
"I used to go to your school. Now listen that guy was after you and we want to help you."   
Then Trinity took over.   
"Link my name is Trinity, you saw something on your computer, if you want we will tell you what it was."   
"How can I trust you? You just killed someone!"   
"You have to trust us Link" I said, he looked at the both of us.   
"Is this about the Matrix?"   
I looked at Trinity, but she didn't seem surprised.   
"How do you know about the Matrix?"   
"Well I don't really know any thing about it but I received an E-mail saying that the Matrix needed my help."   
Trinity's phone then rang.   
"What is is?" she asked, "Yes ok... I'll tell them" she ended the call and turned to Link.   
"Do you want to know what it is?"   
"Yes."   
"Good, Infinity stay with Link, we'll be back soon." she then whispered to me, "Don't let him phone out, or they will trace it and don't tell him anything. Socket is staying outside if anything happens ok?"   
"Yeah, see you soon"   
With that she left, leaving Link and me with the dead guard.   
"Um.. what shall we do with him?" Link asked.   
"Just leave him here."   
"What?!"   
"Don't worry about it."   
We stood there for a while until Link said,   
"It's getting cold, do you want to go inside, i'll give you a tour."   
"I thought you would never ask."   
  
The house, or mansion was beautiful inside and was huge!   
"There are seventeen bedrooms, the kitchen is through here and down there is the smaller kitchen. This is the dinning hall, my computer rooms plus the indoor swimming pool..."   
I remained quiet during the tour because all I could think about the fact that if Link was going to know the truth then he would have to leave this life behind.   
"You okay Infinity?"   
"Huh? Oh yeah I'm fine, I just find this a little strange that's all."   
"Why's that?"   
I smiled, "You'll find out soon enough. So why are you called Link?"   
"My name is actually Adam, Link is my last name but I use it more often when I'm on the internet and things. What about the name Infinity?"   
"Oh it's my internet name, my cousin made it up. Hopefully you will get to meet him."   
I looked out the window and the car pull up outside.   
"They are back. Now Link are you sure you want to do this?"   
"Yes I do."   
"And you sure your parents won't mind you leaving?"   
"Ha, they won't even miss me."   
"All right lets go."   
Before we left Trinity pulled me to the side and asked me if anything bad happened while they were away.   
"No, nothing at all."   
The journey to the factory was quiet, we let Link go inside first.   
Morpheus was waiting for us.   
"You must be Link, I am Morpheus."   
They shook hands, "You're Morpheus, the hacker Morpheus?"   
"I see you have heard of me, please take a seat."   
Trinity and the others went into the next room but I remained at the door, for some reason I didn't want to leave Link in case he wasn't sure about coming with us and I wanted him to.   
Morpheus had not got serious, "Do you know why they have brought you to see me Link?"   
"To find out what I saw on my computer, about the matrix, what it is."   
"Are you sure you want to know?" Morpheus asked him.   
Link thought for a minute and he looked quickly over at me before nodding yes.   
"You do understand Link that in one hand..." Morpheus opened his hand and in it was a red pill.   
"..you will have the truth and we can protect you. And in the other hand.."   
He now opened the other hand which had a blue pill.   
".. you have your normal everyday life where you believe what ever you want to but we will not be able to help you. So, what will it be?"   
I looked at Link's face and I was worried that he would take the blue pill. When this happened to me I   
didn't get the choice, I had to go with them...   
I noticed that Link was once again looking at me, I just smiled.   
He turned back to Morpheus and reached for the hand that contained the red pill but Morpheus stopped him.   
"Remember, all I am offering you the truth, nothing more."   
But Link had made his mind up as he swallowed the pill.   
Morpheus smiled, "Link follow me" he said and took him in to the next room where Electra was seated next to group of computers.   
"Are we on-line?" Morpheus asked.   
"Nearly" replied Electra.   
Next to a large mirror was a black relaxing chair, Morpheus turned to Link.   
"The pill you took is part of a trace program. It's designed to disrupt your input/output carrier signal so we can pinpoint your location. Take a seat there."   
I watched as the others worked away looking at semastic readings and I felt useless.   
"Infinity." said Trinity and I went over to her and helped place wire pads to Link's body.   
"You ok?" I asked   
"Yeah, Is what I'm about to do dangerous or anything?" I picked up the worry in his voice.   
"Well it's very scary and some parts will hurt but if I survived it then you will."   
"Infinity stand back" warned Morpheus.   
I watched Link look nervously around the room, he was sweating and he looked at himself in the broken mirror. He watched in amazement as it melted together to become whole.   
"Oh my god" he went to touch it but instead of it being solid it was like liquid and stuck to his fingers as he pulled his hand away.   
"That is cool" he commented but then the silver liquid started to run up his arm.   
"Hey what the hell is going on?"   
All around Link the others were calling out to each other saying words I didn't understand.   
"It's going into replication."   
"Electra?"   
"Almost"   
"Tank we'll need the signal soon"   
"Nearly there.. targeting!"   
"He's going into arrest!"   
"Lock! Got him"   
"Now Tank!"   
I couldn't believe what was happening, Link had been total covered in the mirror and it swallowed him completely. The others didn't seem too surprised as if they had seen it dozens of times before but this was   
a first for me.   
Trinity noticed I had frozen to the spot.   
"Are you okay Infinity?"   
"Where is he? Where did he go?"   
"Don't you remember Infinity? This is what happened to you, Link has now woken up in the real world."   
"Lets go and get him" said Morpheus and the telephone started ringing...   
  
Back on the Neb, Tank and the others had located Link and were lifting him up from the sewers by a crane.   
"Infinity get some blankets, quickly" Trinity told me and I was glad to be useful. When I got back Link was on bored and he looked completely different, he was hairless, wet, naked and had these gruesome looking holes on his body, but then again so did I.   
I handed the blankets to Trinity who wrapped them around Link.   
"Thanks, you can go now."   
"What?"   
"Go get some rest, you've had a long day, plus it was your first time back in the Matrix, you deserve a rest."   
"But I want to help." I said.   
"Listen to Trinity, there isn't much for you to do any way. Link is going to have help for his muscles to work that's all."   
I knew better then to argue with Morpheus, "Okay I'll go to bed. See you tomorrow then."   
As I lay on my cot I didn't think I would be able to sleep but I did because I had the dream, well night mare and woke up in a cold sweat.   
I did not want to go back to sleep so I got up and went to the infirmary to see Link.   
He was lying in a sort of glass tank and had tons of needles sticking out of him.   
"He's fine, a bit groggy but then so is everyone when they are freed from the Matrix."   
I looked around to see Tank at the doorway, "Hi Tank"   
"Couldn't sleep?"   
"No... How long will he be like this?"   
"Depends, could be a few months or three months."   
"And then we have to show him the truth" I sighed.   
Tank stood next to me, "Yep, life sucks sometimes but there you go..."   
"Have you had word from Neo?"   
"He's fine, should be back soon."   
"Is it true that he destroyed an agent?"   
"Oh yeah, Agent Smith, thank god we never have to put up with him again."   
"Has he destroyed any since then?"   
"Not that I know of, but he will. Come on Infinity you can't stay up all night, you need your sleep."   
"I'll try, goodnight Tank."   
"Night Infinity."   
I began walking back to my quarters but stopped and looked at Link. "Goodnight Link" I said and left.   
  
It was almost over two months until Link was up and about and I went to see him.   
"Hi Link"   
"Infinity what is this place? Where are we, why does everyone look different?"   
"Don't worry Link because today's the day you are going to find out. Come with me."   
I led him to the core where Morpheus was waiting for us.   
"Is this it? Are you going to tell me what the Matrix is now?"   
"No Link, I can't tell you what the Matrix is, you must see it for your self."   
With that Morpheus gestured for Link to sit down.   
"Ready? now this will feel a little strange." and Morpheus inserted a plug in the hole at the back of Link's skull.   
He grimaced in pain but that soon disappeared.   
"He's in" said Tank and soon Morpheus joined him. I watched on one of the screens to see Link looking the same as when I first saw him in the Matrix.   
So Morpheus showed and told Link what he wanted to know. He was told how humans created A.I and what happened after that, the humans had been turned into batteries.   
"So on my computer I found a hole through the Matrix and saw the real world?"   
"You could say that?"   
"Wow... and the Matrix is a vast computer program? This technology is so advanced! If I had known of this then we could have used it for one of my games I made."   
"He seems to have taken the truth well" commented Socket as Morpheus and Link came out of the construct.   
'Almost too well" I thought and recalled what I was like when I was told the truth.   
"Come on Link, i'll give you a tour of the ship." I said taking his hand and leading him to the cock-pit.   
"Ok so here is the cock-pit, over there is the pilot Cyber and next to him is socket, she's training to become a polite as well. They spend most of their time in here."   
"Nice to meet you. Um, where abouts are we? I mean are we in the sky or what?"   
"Well a long time ago above us use to be cities but now there are machines up there so we travel in.."   
"Sewers!" Link cut off Socket, "We are in the sewers?"   
"Yep, come on Link, i've got more to show you."   
H e followed me around while I pointed out things of interest.   
"Down there is the cargo hold, not much to see down there. Okay to your left are some quarters and through here- mind your head is the mess hall. Oh this is Electra, I think you already met him. Right up   
next you have already seen but this is the main deck and here is the core where we send out a pirate signal to hack into the Matrix and at the console is Tank."   
The two guys shook hands, "Hey you don't have any holes like me."   
"That's because I was born in the real world."   
"Hey Tank you can tell him about that later, I still have to finish my tour" and I took Link by the arm and led him to the ladder.   
"Okay this goes down to the lower decks" I climbed down and at the bottom I called Link to come down.   
I took him along the deck telling him what things where until we met up with Trinity.   
"You know Trinity don't you Link?"   
"Yes but I knew of Trinity before."   
"You did?" she said puzzled.   
"Yeah, only I thought you were a guy, no offence."   
She laughed, "none taken, lets just say you're not the only one. Oh before I forget Morpheus wants to see you Infinity."   
"Me? Ok where is he?"   
"In the core, come on I'll take you to him."   
On the way back to the core I was getting worried about why Morpheus wanted to see me, however he smiled when he saw me.   
"Infinity there you are, I want to talk to you, please take a seat. In fact Link can come too if he wants."   
"Sure." and we both sat down on the loading chairs.   
"We won't be long, when you are ready Tank."   
  
We were walking along a street in a city which was filled with people.   
Morpheus was talking about how everyone around us were the very minds we were trying to save.   
Link and I were having a hard time keeping up as women and men in nearly every profession pushed past us. Morpheus however was having no trouble what so ever.   
"Some people will not want to be freed, they have become so use to their lives in the matrix that they don't want to let it go and will fight for it. That is when they become our enemies." Morpheus stopped and we did the same.   
"Did you hear me Link or were you too busy looking at the woman in the red dress?"   
He turned around to face us, I could see Link and I reflected in his sunglasses.   
"I.. I was but, well did you see her?"   
"Take another look."   
We both did and there was no woman in a red dress but a man wearing a black suit, shades, ear piece and was pointing a gun straight at us.   
"Shit Agent!!" I cried and turned to run but Morpheus held on to me.   
"Freeze it!" he called out and the world stood still apart from us, a pigeon was frozen in mid air.   
"This isn't the Matrix is it?" I asked, calming down.   
"No Infinity, this is a training program."   
Link was walking around the frozen agent who still had his gun aimed at me.   
"Infinity are these the guys who were after me?"   
I nodded.   
"They are sentient programs, they show up if you have been traced or if there are a lot of people around, we must be extra careful. Link if this was the Matrix then you would of had your head blown off. If you meet an agent then do what Infinity was going to do, run."   
I took one last look at the agent, he didn't seem familiar to me and I was glad.   
Morpheus got out his phone, "Tank load the jump program."   
Suddenly were no longer standing on the city street but on top of a skyscraper, thank god I'm not scared of heights but still Morpheus could have warned us.   
"One thing the two of you must remember, although the Matrix has rules such as gravity they can be bent and some can even be broken, watch and free your mind."   
Then he did something amazing, he did a running jump which sailed him high into the air before landing on the opposite building which was about 50 ft away!   
"There's no way we can do that! This is insane." said Link.   
"You first" I said.   
Link took a deep breathe, "O- okay here I go, what did he say? Free my mind, break the rules." Link took a long run up, jumped... and hurtled to the ground screaming all the way.   
I ran to the side of the building and looked down.   
"LINK!!!" I cried and watched him fall until he slammed into the concrete below, but it didn't happen, the ground swallowed him up and then spit him back out again only for it to go solid when Link came back down hard.   
"You okay Link?" I shouted, fearing he was dead but I faintly heard him yell back,   
"Yeah, I'm going out now- hope you make it" and he disappeared.   
'So do I' I thought and looked over at Morpheus on the other building. "I can do this, I've got to do this." I said to myself, "Okay here it goes."   
I made a run up, I didn't know how to free my mind but seeing a Link didn't think he could do it and he didn't I believed that I would.   
I began to run, I came to the edge of the building and jumped.   
I felt nothing beneath my feet as gravity left me.   
I don't know how high I went, but soon gravity came back to me and I felt that I wasn't going up anymore. That's when I realized I was not going to make it and I forgot to think that I could and it made me fall faster.   
In a blur I saw the building grow bigger, but I was in fact closer to it, knowing I had missed the roof I screamed a I went straight through a window!   
No glass broke though and the window felt as if I was going through a thick liquid which slowed me down and I rolled until I came to a stop by Morpheus' feet, I looked up at him.   
"Guess I didn't make it huh?"   
He crouched down to me huge smile was on his face, "Do you know that you are the first person ever to make it over to this building on their first try?"   
"I am? Oh my god!" I then made the mistake of looking over through the window I fell through at the other building I had jumped from and realized how far apart they were.   
"Um Morpheus can we leave now?"   
"Of course."   
  
We were back on the ship and every one had crowded around me and started treating me like a hero, praising me because I had made the jump. I tried telling them that I fell through the window but they wouldn't listen to me. I didn't feel like being congratulated and made an excuse to go to my cabin to relax.   
A few minutes went by when there was a knock on the bulkhead.   
"Infinity it's Link can I come in?"   
I sat up from my bed, yeah."   
He looked around the hatch and the come in to my cabin, closing the hatch behind him." that was some jump you did."   
I sighed, "yeah I suppose."   
"Are you al right, you don't seem very pleased with yourself, I know I would be."   
"At least you know why you are here"   
"Not completely, don't you then?"   
"I think I do but there is something that I'm not sure about, you see I didn't have the choice of the blue pill, I had to wake up.. forget it, it's a long story"   
"Good, I like stories and it's not like we have much else to do."   
"Ok, you had better sit down then. Right a few months before we found you I was living with my parents.   
My Dad worked for a computer firm and was always bringing home programs to test them out and things, anyway he come home one night and loaded this CD. I went to my room as Dad was in his work mode. A few minutes later I heard him calling to Mum, I went to the banister where I had a good view of the   
computer. My mum come out and asked what was wrong and Dad pointed to the screen which was filled with columns of green moving symbols..."   
"The Matrix!" exclaimed Link.   
I nodded, "Mum asked him what it was but he had know idea and he tried pushing keys to make it go away but instead a picture of this spider machine come up."   
I took a deep breath before continuing my story.   
"Then the front door flew open and about three guys in suits and sunglasses come in, they took one look at the computer and the one in the front got out his gun and shot the computer.   
My Dad shouted at them but they all got out their guns and they shot my dad... My mum screamed and they shot her too. I saw it all from the banister and I felt as though I was going to puke. They hadn't seen me so I quietly crept to the bathroom where I was sick.   
I was so certain that they would come and get me.."   
Link looked stunned at what I had just revealed, "Oh my god, Agents killed your parents" he whispered.   
"I waited in fear but no one came so in the end I had to look, but there was nothing to show what had just happened, the computer was fixed, there was no blood on the carpet, no bodies. I was so freaked, there was no way this was possible and so I never left the house. I didn't answer the door or phone just in case it was them. I don't know what would have happened if Neo hadn't come to get me"   
"Who's Neo?" asked Link.   
"Oh no one has told you about him yet have they? Well all you need to know for the time being is that he is - or was depending how you look at it- my cousin. Any way he took me away from the house and I met Trinity and Morpheus. They told me that I should go with them and I did, which is how I ended up here."   
I looked down at the floor and studied my boots.   
"I have dreams about it, well nightmares really and it's always the same. The agents barge into my house and kill both my parents. I scream and run down the stairs, the lead agent turns to wards me with his gun pointing at me. He says "One day Miss Anderson" before shooting me." I looked up at Link but I couldn't read the expression on his face so I got up from my cot and paced the length of my room.   
I haven't seen the main agent who killed my parents but I'm scared I will, that's why I was uncomfortable about being in that program with the agent, although I didn't recognize him. There is no way to kill an Agent which is why we run, unless Neo is with you."   
"Infinity could you tell me more about Neo? Please?"   
I sat back down next to him.   
"Sure, Neo is... special although I haven't witnessed it myself.   
When the Matrix was created a man was born inside who was able to change the Matrix how ever he wanted, I was told that he was the one who freed Morpheus but when he died some one called the oracle prophersized his return and Morpheus has spent most of his life searching the matrix for him.   
Then he come across Neo who was a hacker and he took the red pill.   
I think it took Neo a long time to realise it but he is the One and only he can stop the slavery and destroy the Matrix once and for all. At the moment he is only finding out what he can do and he is helping on another ship right now. Trinity told me that Neo was killed by and agent once but he some how came back to life, he then stopped around a dozen bullets in mid-air before destroying and agent, how ever the   
agent who murdered my parents is still out there..."   
"Neo sounds amazing! I wish he was here."   
"Yeah, so do I."   
******   
The next day Tank wanted to see Link and me.   
"It's time for your training" he grinned holding up some strange small disks.   
"Excuse me?" I asked, puzzled.   
"Trust me, both lay down on the chairs and we'll get started. Right what will it be? Oh this is a good one."   
He inserted one of the disks and hit 'load'.   
Suddenly something happened in my brain and I realised I knew the different techniques to use a gun. It lasted a few minutes.   
"Wow!" Link breathed when he opened his eyes.   
"You two like that eh? Well then how about this?"   
Tank loaded in another disk this time on unarmed combat.   
Amazingly I learnt Karate, Judo, ju-jitsu, Tie chi, Teakwando and many more.   
"That should do it" aid Tank once it was finished, Morpheus was watching us.   
"Do you believe you could beat an agent now Infinity?" he asked.   
"I don't know."   
"Why don't you and Link try some moves. Tank, load the sparring program."   
Almost instantly Link and I were in a sort of japanese dojo, we were both in karate robes.   
"Looks like we've gotta fight each other." I said.   
"Yep, but don't think I'm going to go easy on you because you're a girl."   
"Excuse me?! Come here and say that!"   
"Ok" and Link came at me but I was ready and blocked his fists.   
"Gotta be faster than that Link." as he continued to try and hit me.   
It was so strange, I had never done kung fu in my life, yet I was executing the moves as thought I had been training for years.   
"Come on Infinity, i'm doing all the work here!"   
I had, had enough of Link and I used my leg to push him away but instead it made him fly to the other side of the dojo!   
I followed that up with a couple of back flips before knocking Link to the ground just as he got up again.   
"Well done Infinity, let us see if it wasn't just a fluke"   
I looked over my shoulder to see Morpheus and immediately I went for a round house kick but he grabbed on to my leg and pushed me flying into the wall next to Link who was still dazed.   
Morpheus bent over me and said, "Don't worry Infinity, you will be faster one day.."   
After that I didn't hear Morpheus any more as I was too busy thinking about the agent in my nightmare, he said 'one day'. When I looked up the agent was standing over me and I was angry.   
I got to my feet and got in a fighting stance, he killed my parents and there was no way he would get away with it.   
I ran at him, I threw punches but he was too fast so I jumped up and kicked him in the chest which sent him into a wooden beam.   
Every thing was going so slowly as I punched him repeatedly in the gut. I was finally getting my revenge and it was a while before I realised someone was holding on to my arm and calling out my name.   
"Infinity stop it!" cried Link but I kept on punching.   
"Infinity you can stop now, Morpheus has been beaten."   
Morpheus? I stopped and stood back, there was no agent, just Morpheus , battered and bleeding. I had almost killed him!   
"Oh my god!" I gasped, my hand cupping my mouth, "Morpheus I am so sorry, I don't know what come over me."   
Morpheus however was smiling as he wiped the blood away from his mouth.   
"Do you think you could beat an agent now Infinity?"   
Luckily for me no one asked why I had taken it out so hard on Morpheus as they were so shocked that I could move that fast.   
I made and excuse to go to my quarters but as I left I heard Socket say, "she's got here cousin in her that's for sure."   
******   
It was a few days before anything else happened. Link and I were going to see the Oracle and also to Link's 'home' so we could discover how he managed to see the real world from his computer.   
"Is this the same Oracle who prophersized the return of The One?" I asked Trinity as we walked to the core.   
"Yes she has been a guide for us since the first of us was freed, it will be wise for the both of you to listen to what she has to say."   
The same people were coming with us who came in last time with socket guarding the exit.   
This would be Links first time back in the Matrix since he was unplugged and he was shocked at how one second we were on the ship and the next thing he knew we were in a disused warehouse.   
Morpheus answered the phone to tell Tank we were in.   
As we walked to the car I noticed we all looked different, our RSI's were wearing black clothes and our old hair cuts, it was nice to have long hair again for a while.   
Electra drove us to where the Oracle lived which was a run down flat.   
Morpheus took us by lift to room C960. He stopped outside and turned to us.   
"I can only show you the door, you must walk through it" he said so I went to open it but someone opened it from the other side.   
A thin black woman answered it and smiled.   
"Hello Infinity, Link, Morpheus. Please come in."   
The hallway of the flat looked normal, but then what is normal?"   
"The Oracle will be with you soon, take a seat, you too Morpheus" said the priestess before gracefully walking away, I followed her to the living room where several kids of different ages were sitting around.   
Each was doing something extraordinary. One was actually levitating! Only a couple of centimetre off the floor but she was definitely floating.   
"Who wants to go first?" asked the priestess.   
"You go Link" I said, I didn't want to see the Oracle just yet.   
"Okay see you in a minute" and he went off into what I think was the kitchen.   
"Do you want a try?" a small voice askedI looked down at the girl who had been floating.   
"Pardon?"   
"Go on, it's easy, just realize the truth, you're body isn't really here so it isn't heavy, gravity doesn't really exist."   
She was right so I sat cross legged on the floor opposite her and thought about it, my body was just a digital version of my real body, therefore shouldn't weigh anything.   
Then I felt myself get taller but I hadn't grown, just rose off the ground.   
The girl smiled, "it's good isn't it?"   
"Yeah, I- Woah!" I cried as I went back down fast.   
"Keep concentrating!" she laughed and I floated back up where I stayed for awhile.   
"The Oracle is ready to see you know Infinity" said the priestess.   
"What?.." and I fell to the ground with a bump.   
I met Link as he come out, he seemed to be deep in thought.   
"Good luck" he whispered.   
"Not that she'll need it" said a gravely voice and I looked into see an old black woman smoking a cigarette sitting at a little table in a green and orange kitchen. Not at all what I was expecting but nothing has been lately.   
"Hello" I smiled.   
"Hello Infinity, take a seat," I did, "I'm afraid you will get a bruise after following my students antics." She chuckled.   
I was going to ask how did she know but she spoke before I did.   
"How did I know? I'm afraid I'm one of those annoying people who just does, I try not to give too much away, every one likes surprises."   
I smiled again, I liked her already. I heard her sigh.   
"My you really are Neo's cousin aren't you."   
"Not really, only in the Matrix seeing as we are grown not born."   
"But it doesn't matter dear, it still means you have family... Well I suppose I had better tell you something otherwise Morpheus will stop bringing people to see me."   
I laughed.   
"Hold out arms, palms up" she instructed, she then put on a pair of rhinestone glasses and looked at my palms, she 'hmmed' to herself as she looked at my hands before looking back at me.   
"You're a bit mixed up at the moment, you have suffered a great loss in life yet you will gain so much over the next few years. They are all there to help you Infinity, don't push them away."   
"I know, I just find it hard."   
"Something will happen to make you see that these people do care about you, especially one in particular."   
She smiled to herself and I wondered who she meant.   
"I'm going to give you a piece of advice kid. Never give up. Even if the situation looks completely hopeless there is always a way out, there is always hope you just have to find it."   
"Never give up?"   
"Never."   
I took that as a sign to leave and I got up from the chair.   
"Thank you, it was nice meeting you."   
"You too Infinity."   
I turned to leave but stopped, I had thought of something to ask her, but yet again she spoke before I had the chance.   
"Yes, the dream is telling you something, it is telling you that you have to face your fear, you can't run from it forever and you have the power to stand up to it now, use it but be careful. There are two paths you can take with this. One will end up with your death, the other will allow to live a prosperous life with my challenges in the future."   
"I take it you can't tell me which path I should take?"   
"Let me suggest the one where you survive. I'm sorry Infinity, I wish I could be more helpful. Just remember- never give up."   
I said goodbye and joined Link and Morpheus out in the hall way, I said nothing to them about what I was just told.   
When we were back at the car we stopped off at Link's old house.   
"That was a bit weird" whispered Link to me.   
"Tell me about it" I agreed.   
As we parked up outside Link's house I noticed he had grown very quiet.   
"Everything all right?" I asked.   
"You were right I do find it strange being here. I'm worried that I might see my parents."   
"We have checked, they are not here, the machines may have made your parents forget all about you."   
Trinity told him.   
"Oh"   
"Are we doing this or not?" asked Morpheus who seemed impatient.   
"Yes, follow me, well take the back door."   
Trinity was right, no one was about and so it was easy for us to get on one of Link's many computers.   
"Okay, so I was sitting here and I was logging on to the internet..."   
"You know what I really miss? Chocolate." I said suddenly.   
"There's bound to be some in the kitchen, help yourself" said Link and I went off to get some, I wasn't all that interested in how Link saw the real world.   
After I got my chocolate however they were still staring at the computer screen.   
"I don't get it, I'm doing exactly the same as last time so we should be seeing the real world by now."   
"Maybe they changed it," I suggested, "I mean an agent did turn up a few minutes later, they must have found out."   
Suddenly the window near us shattered, glass flew every where!   
"Get out of here!" yelled Morpheus.   
"Can't, the door's stuck" said Electra and another bullet was shot.   
"This way" called Link and he led us to another door, but that too was sealed shut. We were trapped.   
"I have one more exit, down here, it's a secret passage" Link crouched down and removed a pieced of wood which concealed a hole big enough to crawl through.   
"Go straight ahead, it comes out at the wood."   
I went first as I was the smallest but I was not looking forward to coming out at the other end.   
The passage was dark but not too long and I soon come to what looked like cellar doors. Slowly I opened them.   
No agents, just trees, I sighed with relief and told the others we were ok.   
My mobile rang and I searched my coat for it.   
"Hello?"   
"Infinity, I've found an exit which is extremely close to you."   
"What?!"   
"I know but it wasn't there last time, just keep heading in the same direction, you'll see it. I'll tell Socket   
you're not coming back. Listen out for the ringing."   
BANG, BANG, BANG!! more bullets were being fired, we had been spotted.   
"This way!" I called to the others once they had made it out of the house, "Tank has found an exit."   
That's when I saw them. There was three of them and they were running after us very fast shooting all the while.   
We ran also. In between bangs I heard the ring of a telephone and I saw a pay phone right in front of us.   
"There it is!" someone shouted and we all ran faster.   
Morpheus reached it first to see if it would work, he answered it and he want all green and transparent as he left the matrix.   
Then something strange happened, I can't explain it but I didn't want to leave and I helped Trinity fire at the Agents.   
Electra went next and Link tried to get me to go.   
"No Link you first."   
So when the phone rang again Link went, Trinity how ever was far more harder to persuade to go next.   
"Go Infinity they will be here soon"   
"I'll go after you."   
"Infinity, no"   
"Just go!" I yelled Trinity answered it but before she left a bullet hit me in my right leg. I screamed in pain and fell to the floor.   
"Infinity!" cried Trinity but she was pulled out of the matrix and the phone was shot to pieces.   
My leg hurt so much that I was wincing in pain, when I looked up the three agents had surrounded me.   
I felt something hit me around the head.   
Every thing went black.   
******   
When I woke up I discovered that I was in a windowless white room, tied to an uncomfortable metal chair.   
I couldn't feel my right leg, but I could see it was bleeding a lot.   
I jumped as the door opened and I literally felt my heart stop beating as in walked the Agent who killed my parents and the one who speaks to me in my dream.   
Luckily for my, or his sake he was not alone as he was followed by two more agents however he was the one who spoke to me.   
"Do you know why you are here? Why we haven't killed you?"   
I said nothing.   
"Of course you do. We want the boy known to you as Link and you are going to help us get him."   
"Why do you want Link?" I asked out of curiosity.   
"It is not your concerned" the agent said sharply.   
"Then perhaps you need to practise your shooting because all you have got yourself is me."   
As one the agents got out their guns and pointed them at me.   
"You are expendable I'm afraid Miss Anderson."   
I was so scared, but I remembered what the Oracle told about facing my fear.   
"Go ahead, shoot me like you did my parents!" Oh god, I wasn't going to say that!   
All three agents stared at me and then something must have come over their ear pieces because they all left.   
"What? Is that it?!" I yelled after them, "You won't get Link you know, I won't let you."   
No one heard me and I was left to look around my prison, not that there was much to see. There was only one way out and that was the door but I couldn't even move, the chair was bolted to the floor plus my leg was too badly hurt to work properly. I was stuck.   
'No' I thought, 'remember what the Oracle said, Never give up so I won't.   
Yeah, she also told me that there are two paths and one will end up with me dead.'   
I didn't want to think about that so instead I tried to break the restraints that held me. They weren't real right? So I should have been able to at least bend them but I couldn't.   
I was tired, scared and had lost too much blood...   
I must have fell asleep or unconscious because the next thing I knew I felt a pain in my arm which brought me around.   
"Hey! What are you doing?" I asked the agent who had injected me with some substance.   
"Keeping you alive" he said.   
"Why?"   
"Because at the moment you are more use to us alive then dead."   
"Oh" that was good news, wasn't it? "But I'm no good to you now, Link is not here I see."   
"He will be soon" said the agent turning to go.   
"Why is Link so important to you anyway?" I decided to ask.   
"He will help us, help improve the matrix and make it better."   
"For who? You or us humans?"   
He decided not to answer me and left. I was alone once more and I realised that someone had bandaged up my leg.   
  
I didn't know what was happening. I didn't know what time it was, how long I had been in the Matrix or if the sun was shining outside.   
After several hours the door opened again and in walked the agent who killed my parents. I glared at him as he wheeled a chair in front of me and sat down.   
"I don't believe I introduced myself last time we met. I am Agent Spencer."   
So the murderer had a name.   
"I don't need to know your name, I know all I need to, you shot my parents."   
"But were they really your parents?"   
"Pardon?" I spat.   
"Let me explain. You see the machines are your parents, they looked after you , you are grown not born.   
The people who you believe were your parents were just minds of strangers."   
"How dare you say that!" I screamed but I knew that he was telling the truth.   
The agent leaned forward and it made me feel even more uncomfortable.   
"It doesn't have to be like that Miss Anderson. If you co-operate with us that is."   
"What do you mean?"   
"I mean you could have your body re-inserted back in the Matrix, all of what you have discovered will be forgotten, you're parents will be alive and happy, plus we are willing you to have any life you wish,   
anything at all."   
"You're blackmailing me? You will give me my life back in the matrix and parents in return for what?"   
I knew what he was going to say before he said it.   
"Link."   
'No way' I thought to myself, 'if they got Link who know what might happen.'   
Another part of me was thinking, 'I'll have my parents back, it's a way out, the path which won't kill me.'   
That point was screaming in my mind and I listened to it.   
"All right" I said quietly.   
"Sorry I didn't quite hear that" said Spencer, I think he was enjoying this.   
"You'll get Link if you re-insert me back in the matrix."   
"It is done." and I was let out of the chair but I couldn't really move because of my leg.   
Why had I agreed? Well I figured that what ever the agents wanted Link for it was nothing he couldn't handle, plus I would rather have my parents back than live on the ship.   
Spencer handed me a phone.   
"Ring your operator, speak long enough for us to be able to pinpoint the ship."   
"You are not going to destroy it are you?"   
"Just dial the number" he said and I hesitated slightly before dialling, I hope I was doing the right thing.   
"Operator?"   
"Tank thank god! Is Link there?"   
"Infinity is that you?"   
"Yes."   
"I can't believe it! I lost track of you for a while there, Are you Okay?"   
"I'm fine, Tank I must speak with Link."   
"Okay hold on- here he is..."   
I heard a click and then Link spoke.   
"Infinity where the hell are you? We've been worried sick."   
"I'm all right Link"   
"We thought agents had got you."   
"No I ran away and lost them." I had to lie.   
"But Trinity said you were hit in the leg."   
"Only just, it's not real remember." I glanced at Spencer he gestured with his hand for me to continue speaking.   
"So any way I'll be needing and exit."   
"Tank's looking for one now. God Infinity you can't believe how glad I am to hear that you are okay. I really though they had got you."   
'Oh my god!!' I thought in horror, 'The Oracle told me something would happen, she said that something would make me see that these people cared about me and this was it.   
'What have I done!'   
"Infinity? Hello? Are you still there?"   
"Link you've gotta.."   
I was cut off my a static noise which hurt my ear and the line went dead.   
Well we have located the ship, we now have Link and your body, soon you will forgot that this ever happened." said Spencer but I wasn't listening I was too shocked and was repeating over and over,   
"I can't believe I have done that!"   
"Oh by the way was there anything else?"   
I looked at the agent, "What?"   
"We said you could have anything you wanted, what is it to be?"   
"Oh... I um... don't want my parents to die by any of you got it?"   
"That can be arranged, it was nice working with you Miss Anderson."   
  
Stay tuned for more soon 


End file.
